COMPETENCY BASED PRACTICE PASSAGES

Passage 1
1. Nations are built by the imagination and untiring enthusiastic efforts of generations. One
generation transfers the fruits of its toil to another, which then takes forward the mission. As
the coming generation also has its dreams and aspirations for the nation’s future, it therefore
adds something from its side to the national vision; which the next generation strives hard to
achieve. This process goes on and the nation climbs steps of glory and gains higher strength. The
first vision: Freedom of India
2. Any organisation, society or even a nation without a vision is like a ship cruising on the high seas
without any aim or direction. It is the clarity of national vision which constantly drives the
people towards the goal.
3. Our last generation, the glorious generation of freedom fighters, led by Mahatma Gandhi and
many others set for the nation a vision of free India. This was the first vision, set by the people
for the nation. It therefore went deep into the minds and the hearts of the masses and soon
became the great inspiring and driving force for the people to collectively plunge into the
struggle for freedom movement. The unified dedicated efforts of the people from every walk of
life won freedom for the country. The second vision: Developed India.
4. The next generation (to which I also belong) has put India strongly on the path of economic,
agricultural and technological development. But India has stood too long in the line of
developing nations. Let us, collectively, set the second national vision of Developed India. I am
confident that it is very much possible and can materialise in 15 – 20 years’ time. Developed
status.
5. What does the developed nation status mean for the common man? It means the major
transformation of our national economy to make it one of the largest economies in the world,
where the countrymen live well above the poverty line, their education and health is of high
standard, national security is reasonably assured, and the core competence in certain major
areas gets enhanced significantly so that the production of quality goods, including exports, is
rising and thereby bringing all-round prosperity for the countrymen.
6. What is the common link needed to realise these sub-goals? It is the technological strength of
the nation, which is the key to reach this developed status. Build around our strength
7. The next question that comes to the mind is, how can it be made possible? We have to build and
strengthen our national infrastructure in an all-round manner, in a big way. Therefore, we
should build around our existing strengths including the vast pool of talented scientists and
technologists and our abundant natural resources. The manpower resource should be optimally
utilised to harness health care, services sectors and engineering goods sectors.

Questions
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any five out of the seven questions by
choosing the correct option.
(i) According to the author, what, from the following, a nation without a vision is?
(a) Futuristic
(b) Prudent
(c) Desultory
(d) Belligerent

(ii) Select the option that suitably completes the dialogue with reference to the above passage.
John: The diversity of India is a gift, wouldn’t you agree? I think it adds to the glory of our nation
and makes it unique in its existence. Matt: I do agree. In fact, I think ................ .
(a) If everyone stays isolated, that would nurture the nation’s strength
(b) Unity in diversity is what will make our nation great
(c) Generalisation of every citizen as a part of one single community is very integral to the
growth of the nation
(d) It separates our nation and makes India superior than all others

(iii) Choose the option that best conveys the message in – “It therefore went deep into the
minds and the hearts of the masses and soon became the great inspiring and driving force…”
(a) A person is a coward because they think they are.
(b) A person is brave because their family and friends support them.
(c) A person’s happiness depends upon a healthy relationship with the society.
(d) A person’s valour is determined by their contribution to the world.

(iv) What qualities do the writer of the above passage displays when they talk about the
necessary steps to build our nation’s strength? Choose one option from the following.
(a) Ambitious and alertness
(b) Tendency to help everyone in need
(c) Visionary and confident
(d) Leading people by trying to do everything in their own way

(v) Select the option with the underlined words that can suitably replace ‘driving’.
(a) He was the acting force behind the new ballet company.
(b) You should never take chance while swiftly drunk riding a car.
(c) Covered in engine, dragging forcefully the 31-foot propeller shaft for the 2 propellers.
(d) During the first year of the war, he was active in exerting force out and maltreating Union
men.

(vi) What does the author advise, in paragraph 7?

(a) To strengthen the nation’s technological strength.
(b) To strengthen the nation’s defensive strength.
(c) To strengthen the nation’s nuclear strength.
(d) To strengthen the nation’s educational strength.

(vii) Choose the option that lists the quote best expressing the central idea of the passage.
(a) Not merely a nation, but a nation of nations. (Lyndon B Johnson)
(b) To survive in peace and harmony united and strong, we must have one people, one nation,
one flag. (Pauline Hanson)
(c) After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. (Nelson
Mandela)
(d) In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.
 Passage 2
1. Archaeology as a profession faces two major problems. First, it is the poorest of the poor.
Only paltry sums are available for excavating and even less is available for publishing the
results and preserving the sites once excavated. Yet archaeologists deal with priceless
objects every day. Second, there is the problem of illegal excavation, resulting in museum-
quality pieces being sold to the highest bidder.
2. I would like to make an outrageous suggestion that would at one stroke provide funds for
archaeology and reduce the amount of illegal digging. I would propose that scientific
archeological expeditions and governmental authorities sell excavated artifacts on the open
market. Such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of
archaeological sites and the publication of results. At the same time, they would break the
illegal excavator’s grip on the market, thereby decreasing the inducement to engage in
illegal activities.
3. You might object that professionals excavate to acquire knowledge, not money. Moreover,
ancient artifacts are part of our global cultural heritage, which should be available for all to
appreciate, not sold to the highest bidder. I agree. Sell nothing that has unique artistic merit
or scientific value. But, you might reply, everything that comes out of the ground has
scientific value. Here we part company. Theoretically, you may be correct in claiming that
every artifact has potential scientific value. Practically, you are wrong.
4. I refer to the thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps that are essentially duplicates
of one another. In one small excavation in Cyprus, archaeologists recently uncovered 2,000
virtually indistinguishable small jugs in a single courtyard, even precious royal seal
impressions known as ‘melekh handles’ have been found in abundance — more than 4,000
examples so far.
5. The basement of museums is simply not large enough to store the artifacts that are likely to
be discovered in the future. There is not enough money even to catalogue the finds; as a
result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been
discovered. Indeed, with the help of a computer, sold artifacts could be more accessible
than are the pieces stored in bulging museum basements. Prior to sale, each could be
photographed and the list of the purchasers could be maintained on the computer. A
purchaser could even be required to agree to return the piece if it should become needed
for scientific purposes. It would be unrealistic to suggest that illegal digging would stop if
artifacts were sold in the open market. But the demand for the clandestine product would
be substantially reduced. Who would want an unmarked pot when another was available
whose provenance was known, and that was dated stratigraphically by the professional
archaeologist who excavated it?

Questions
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any five out of the seven questions by
choosing the correct option.
(i) According to the author, what, from the following, is the lesson taught by the process of
excavation?
a) Archaeology is the most important branch of studies.
(b) Finding and preserving artifacts is integral to knowing more about our cultural past.
(c) Earth has many valuable objects hidden which must be found and sold.
(d) Nothing should remain hidden for a very long time.

(ii) Select the option that suitably completes the dialogue with reference to the above
passage. Dev: I think in order to save the ancient findings from being sold illegally, we
should sell them in open markets. Prachi: I agree but ................... .
(a) Only the artifacts that are not of import and are excavated in multiple quantity
(b) Not the artifacts that are of scientific or historic importance
(c) It is not our decision or concern should we should not discuss it
(d) Both (a) and (b)

(iii) Choose the option that best conveys the message in – ‘Practically, you are wrong.’
(a) One must leave everything on God and have faith that all will be right.
(b) One must strive to do better in life, every step of the way.
(c) One must not despair in life and try their best to make things better.
(d) Money and success are the most important things in life.

(iv) Which of the following can be said about the people in the profession of archaeology?
(a) Collectors of artifacts
(b) Seekers of knowledge
(c) Smugglers of knowledge
(d) Acquire of knowledge for business purposes

(v) Select the option with the underlined words that can suitably replace‘clandestine’.
(Paragraph 5)
(a) The result of weeks of public planning now sat hidden inside the bedside cupboard.
(b) The proceeds went to fund its justifiably correct war against the Russians.
(c) There had been some sort of secretly conducted liaison between the lady and Darrel for
sometime.
(d) Gagan became much more open and frank when asked about the lyrical contents of his
songs.

(vi) Which of the following words means “a study of human activity through recovery and
analysis of material culture”?
(a) Stratigraphically
(b) Archaeologist
(c) Archaeology
(d) Excavation

(vii) Select the qualities that the author seems to exhibit, on the basis of your reading of the
passage.
(1) Conniving (2) Business-minded
(3) Shrewd (4) Sharp
(5) Clever
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2, 4 and 5
 (c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 2 and 5

Passage 3
1. Do children really need such long summer breaks, was a question posed by some experts
recently. Apparently, such a long break disrupts their development and comes in the way of
their learning process. Let’s get the takes back to their books, is perhaps the expert view, if not
in so many words. One would have thought the children are doing too much during their
vacations and not too little, given the plethora of course, classes, camps and workshop involving
swimming, art, personality development, music, computers and the like that seem to cram their
calendar. Even the trips taken in the name of holidays seem laden with exotic destinations and
customised experience packed into a short period of time. We can go Europe in 10 days and
Australia in a week and come back armed with digital memories and overflowing suitcase.
Holidays are, in some ways, no longer a break but an intensified search for experience not
normally encountered in everyday life.

2. It is a far cry from summer holidays one experienced while growing up. For holidays every year
meant one thing and one thing alone—you went back to your native place, logging in with
emotional headquarters of your extended family and spent two months with a gaggle of uncles,
aunts and first and second cousins. The happiest memories of the childhood of a whole
generation seem to be centered around this annual ritual of homecoming and of affirmation.
We tendered tacit apologies for the separateness entailed in being individuals even as we
scurried back into the cauldron of community and continuity represented by family. Summer
vacation was a time sticky with oneness, as who we were and what we owned oozed out from
our individual selves into a collective pot.

3. Summer was not really a break, but a joint. It was the bridge used to re-affirm one’s
connectedness with one’s larger community. One did not travel, one returned. It was not an
attempt to experience the new and the extraordinary but one that emphatically underlined the
power of the old and the ordinary. As times change, what we seek from our summer breaks too
has changed in fundamental ways. Today, we are attached much more to the work and summer
helps us temporarily detach from this new source of identity. Summer breaks have become like
working vacations, especially for the children. We refuel our individual selves now and do so
with much more material than we did in the past. But for those who grew up in different times,
summer vacation was the best time of their lives

Question

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any five out of the seven questions by choosing the
correct option.

(i) According to the passage, what, from the following, is the lesson being taught by the author’s
nostalgic mention of the summer holidays of the older times?

(a) It was a time when everyone looked for adventure and new experiences.

(b) It was a time when everyone went back to their homes and relaxed.

(c) It was a time when everyone apologised to their loved ones.

(d) It was a time of mending broken relationships and building new ones.

(ii) Select the option that suitably completes the dialogue with reference to the above passage. Jai:
Vacations are starting from next week. Let’s get together to decide where we want to go on a tour.
What do you think? Prateek: No, I can’t come with you. My parents .................. .

(a) Are taking me and my siblings to our grandparents’ village to meet our relatives

(b) Want me to stay home and work on my studies

(c) Are going to visit my grandparents and have asked me to stay back at home

(d) Want me to work during the vacations

(iii) Choose the option that best conveys the message in – ‘Summer was not really a break, but a joint.’

(a) It was a time to get away from one’s hectic life to have some relaxation time.

(b) Friends met in summer break to enjoy some time together.

(c) It was a time to build one’s professional career.

(d) People got the chance to connect with their families.

(iv) What qualities do children of today’s world display during their summer vacations, as highlighted by
the author in the first paragraph? Choose one option from the following.

(a) Talented yet distracted

(b) Observational and alert

(c) Laid back and relaxed

(d) Hard working and determined

(v) Select the option with the underlined words that can suitably replace ‘scurried’ (paragraph 2).

(a) The agent stayed away and Denton immediately turned on her.

(b) Delivery people made haste about situating floral arrangements and dry ice

(c) Dayton angrily followed her as she hid secretly in the room upstairs.

(d) He was keenly observing to observe how far from the parent rock any pebbles could be found.

(vi) An Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.
From the options given below, select an Oxymoron that appears in the above passage.

(a) Summer break (b) Annual ritual

(c) Working vacation (d) Customised experience

(vii) Select the qualities, from the passage, that the author wants us to imbibe during summer vacations.
(1) Anti-social (2) Acceptive (3) Emotional (4) Isolated

(5) Forgiving
(a) 2, 4 and 5 (b) 2 and 5 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answers and Explanations

PASSAGE 1

(i) (c) ‘Desultory’ means lacking of a definite plan or aimless. The

passage suggests that a nation without a vision is ‘aimless’,
like a ship cruising without direction.

(ii) (b) The passage talks about the unified efforts of diversified
people which will make India a great nation. Hence, option (b)
is the correct answer.

(iii) (a) “A person is a coward because they think they are”–gives

the correct meaning of the given sentence.

(iv) (c) ‘Visionary’ and ‘confident’ are the qualities that the author
displays while talking about taking the necessary steps to
build our nation’s strength.

(v) (d) ‘Driving’ means exerting force or motivating force. Hence,

the sentence in option (d) contains the words that can replace
‘driving’.

(vi) (a) According to the paragraph 7, the author advises to

strengthen the nation’s technological strength.

(vii) (c) The quote in option (c) best expresses the central idea of
the passage.

PASSAGE 2

(i) (b) Finding and preserving artifacts is integral to knowing

more about our cultural past is the lesson taught by
excavations.

(ii) (d) According to given passage, both options (a) and (b) are
appropriate to complete the dialogue.
(iii) (a) The sentence in option (a) gives the same meaning as the
sentence in the question.

(iv) (b) The people in the profession of archaeology can be said to

be seekers of knowledge.

(v) (c) ‘Clandestine’ means secret or secretly conducted. Hence,

the sentence in option (c) contains the words that can
suitably replace ‘clandestine’.

(vi) (c) ‘ Archaeology’ means a study of human activity through

recovery and analysis of material culture.

(vii) (b) The author seems to be business-minded, sharp and

clever.

PASSAGE 3

(i) (b) The lesson being taught by the author’s mention of the
summer holidays of the older times is that it was a time when
everyone went back to their homes and relaxed.

(ii) (a) According to the given passage, option (a) is the correct
answer.

(iii) (d) “People got the chance to connect with their families”–
gives the correct meaning of the sentence in the question.

(iv) (d) ‘Hard working’ and ‘determined’ are the qualities children
of today’s world display during their summer vacations.

(v) (b) ‘Scurry’ means to make haste. Hence, the sentence in

option (b) contains the words that can suitably replace
‘scurried’.

(vi) (c) ‘Working vacation’ is an oxymoron.

(vii) (b) During the summer vacations, the author wants us to be

‘acceptive’ and ‘forgiving’.